Quiz: Howstuffworks

Fill In the Missing Word in This Song Title

Olivia Cantor

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About This Quiz

Tapping to the beat of that sound? Banging your head to the tune of that melody? Lip-syncing to the words as you stroll or drive along the streets? Yep, you're a certified music lover, all right! Care to put your musical knowledge to the test? Open this quiz up and sing away!

Music has evolved in leaps and bounds, so to speak. During the time of Baby Boomers, musical genres were still so few. Big-band sound was huge. Jazz was already there but still evolving. Rock 'n' roll was gaining ground and laying its roots, which would later expand. Then there's country music, which came on its own throughout the decades.

By the time Generation X came of age, other genres also arrived. There's grunge, alternative rock, new wave and even adult contemporary, among others. Millennials also enjoyed hybrid genres during their formative years. If we used to groove to disco then techno, they now groove to house and EDM. The list goes on; it's ever-expanding.

From each of those genres came great performers. We may have our favorite musicians, but music trends lead us more to having favorite songs instead. The way we consume music also influences this behavior; for example, digital downloads permit us to choose a song instead of the whole album. But never forget that music genres are still alive, kicking—and continuing to evolve.

So, if we ask you to name popular song titles, can you dig it? Let's try! We picked popular tunes from various genres and artists here. Fill in the missing word in the song titles and see how much of a music fan you are!

Let's get grooving!

Bruno boy wants to put "___ on the Floor." Which label got torn?

Gucci

Balenciaga

Versace

Givenchy

We know the designer label Versace is the one Bruno Mars wants to disrobe from his song muse. In real life, the singer and designer—namely Donatella—are friends. Donatella designs Mars' wardrobe for various music videos and award-show appearances.

Before Whitney Houston sang "I Will Always Love You," you can hear another version in the earlier part of "The Bodyguard." A male country singer's rendition played on a jukebox when Whitney and Kevin Costner danced in a bar. The song's original singer-composer is Dolly Parton, though.

Gaga sang about being "___ This Way" but you must go goo-goo first and guess, yeah? What's the word?

Liked

Danced

Made

Born

In an interview, Elton John said "Born This Way" is "the new gay anthem" which can dethrone "I Will Survive." But both songs remain on LGBT playlists during Pride March events in major cities. Lady Gaga mentioned one inspiration for this song is Carl Bean's "I Was Born This Way."

Madonna confessed to feeling "Like a ___" once. Can you guess her state of being, hon?

Bird

Rolling Stone

Virgin

Natural Woman

To have a song called "Like A Virgin" is controversial enough; for it to be a hit during the '80s is monumental. Historians acknowledge this feat when chronicling how Madonna broke conservative barriers. Her 1984 MTV Music Awards performance was also provocative; she wore a wedding gown while she sang "Like a Virgin."

Adele did some "___ in the Deep" a while back. What action did she hack?

Hiding

Rolling

Chasing

Waiting

Many artists have opted to do various kinds of music releases for their new work. One way popular now is the "digital download" wherein artists provide online access to new releases. Adele's hit "Rolling in the Deep" got released this way in 2010 before her "21" CD rolled out.

Queen said "Another One Bites the ___" there. Fill in the blank if you dare!

Bohemian

Radio

Dust

Champions

"Another One Bites the Dust" is the danceable 1980 Queen hit. It came out when conservative religious groups criticized rock songs with a new angle; they​ claimed these songs had secret evil messages recorded using the "backmasking" technique.

"Un-___ My Heart," said Toni B. What's that state she doesn't want you to see?

Clog

Tie

Break

Zip

Grammar experts often use "Un-Break My Heart" as an example of "artistic license." That's because the 1996 song mentions "wrong terms" like "un-break" and "un-cry." But writer Diane Warren and producer David Foster still made it a hit for singer Toni Braxton.

"Hey ___," the Fab Four called. Who's that guy they put on hold?

Eleanor Rigby

Jude

Lucy

Penny Lane

Publications always say Paul McCartney wrote "Hey Jude" to console Julian Lennon. But in a Rolling Stone interview, John Lennon's first son said he doesn't remember this well. That's because he was only five years old during that time.

Ed loves the "___ of You" he 'fessed. Geometry aside, can you take a wild guess?

Shape

Prism

Box

Width

For a singer known for hits like "Thinking Out Loud," "Shape of You" might be out of character for Ed Sheeran at first play. In an interview, he revealed that he originally intended the song for another artist: dance diva Rihanna. So he had to rework the song to fit his style more.

They have "Moves Like ___," said Maroon 5. Who's got this rock-star vibe?

Bowie

Prince

Jagger

Brown

Gen Z kids may have first encountered who Mick Jagger is via the 2011 hit "Moves Like Jagger." This Maroon 5 ditty featured The Rolling Stone rocker's dance moves in their video. Jagger later joked in "The Late Show with David Letterman" that he "didn't earn a cent" from this specific "exposure."

The Carpenters nailed it with "___ Days and Mondays." Which weather system contributes to gloomy decay?

Thunder

Autumn

Windy

Rainy

Today, The Carpenters would be classified in the Adult Contemporary music subgenre. However, when they first came out, there wasn't such a category yet; Billboard Magazine categorized songs like "Rainy Days and Mondays" as "Easy Listening."

"Love the Way You ___" is Rihanna's. Which word did Eminem help to bust?

Save

Hit

Felt

Lie

Domestic violence is the obvious theme of "Love the Way You Lie." Even if the music video and lyrics both detail that fact, some music analysts observed that the song didn't outright condemn it. They even said it sends the wrong message to young girls for being vague about condemning a very serious topic.

The Police felt arrested with "Every ___ You Take." Which word takes the cake?

Breath

Step

Move

Smile

The 1983 hit "Every Breath You Take" won the Grammy Song of the Year award for The Police. However, Sting admitted in an interview that it's a creepy stalker song and not a romantic love song. For added support, an MIT sociologist even analyzed how the song reflects specific surveillance methods.

Bieber asked "___ Do You Mean?" Can you fill out the question of this former teen?

Who

When

What

Which

If you're wondering what tropical house sounds like, Justin Bieber's 2015 hit can give you a clue. "What Do You Mean" combines pop and tropical house genres; it's like house music but a bit mellow. They use musical instruments identified with tropical culture, like the pan flute used in the song.

Coolio took up residency in "___'s Paradise." Supplying the missing word would be nice!

Club

Amish

Pimper

Gangsta

Sampling is a process wherein one song uses bits of another song's rhythm. Coolio did this in his 1995 hit "Gangsta's Paradise," the theme song for the movie ""Dangerous Minds." He sampled parts of Stevie Wonder's 1976 hit "Pastime Paradise."

Carly Rae wanted you to "___ Me Maybe." Just how did she wish to communicate?

Call

Write

See

Mail

Pop lovers grooved to Carly Rae Jepsen's infectious pop song "Call Me Maybe" back in 2011. While the music video featured the girlie Carly pining for her hunky neighbor, it offered a twist at the end. The hunk pined for Carly's male band member instead, giving the song an LGBT twist.

Survivor escaped obscurity with "___ of the Tiger." Which body part helped them there?

Eye

Ear

Tooth

Head

"Eye of the Tiger" is a song tracked with historical denials. Queen rejected Stallone's request to use their song for "Rocky III," so he asked Survivor instead. Survivor deplored Kim Davis' unauthorized use of the song in 2015; she was the jailed clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

The King of Pop reigned with "___ Jean." What's the first name of his pseudo-queen?

Norma

Billie

Shirley

Marie

Many rumors exist about the story behind "Billie Jean." In a 1996 interview, Michael Jackson said the song didn't refer to a particular person. He said it was a representation of Jackson 5 groupies he saw during their younger years.

Meghan advised that it's "All About That ___" for her. Can you guess the missing word there?

Band

Rock

Bass

Song

"Earworm" is a term that refers to popular songs with very catchy melodies. Music reviewers used this term to describe "All About That Bass." But young feminists denounced Meghan Trainor's song; they said it doesn't promote genuine body acceptance if you listen closely.

Elton didn't want to blow the "___ in the Wind." Which lighting device did he mean?

Bulb

Candle

Lamp

Fire

The two versions of Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" both pay tribute to two great women. The 1974 original opened with "Goodbye Norma Jean," referring to Marilyn Monroe. The 1997 reboot opened with "Goodbye England's rose," referring to Princess Diana.

Swifty got firm and said "We Are Never Ever Getting ___ Together." What's the word, ex-lover?

Hitched

Love

Back

Mad

Pop-culture analysts concluded that Taylor Swift writes songs about her exes. They said "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" hints about Jake Gyllenhaal. The 2012 song hit the airwaves two years after the two celebs dated (and apparently got back together for a while before splitting again).

The King wanted his "___ Suede Shoes" polished. What color is this pair of his?

Blue

Red

Black

Green

If you're confused with how rockabilly sounds, just pull out Elvis Presley's 1956 recording of "Blue Suede Shoes." This sound combines country music instrumentation and singing with R&B playing and groove. Rockabilly was integral to the development of rock 'n' roll as a music genre.

Mimi pleaded "All I Want for ___ is You." During which holiday did she want that boo?

Christmas

Birthday

Halloween

Valentine's

Do you picture Mariah Carey as the best singer of her 1994 hit "All I Want for Christmas is You"? The song might paint a different picture depending on who did a cover version. There's Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Shania Twain, CeeLo Green and Kelly Clarkson, to name a few.

Wild Cherry begged us to "Play That ___ Music." Which genre did they pick?

Metal

Ballad

Funky

Rocking

Wild Cherry frontman Rob Parissi advised musicians to "hang on to your publishing." He did that with their 1976 hit "Play That Funky Music" and protected it when Vanilla Ice made his own version of the song. The rapper reportedly paid Parissi half a million dollars in a copyright-infringement case.

Ol' Blue Eyes asked us to "Fly Me to the ___" decades ago. To which heavenly body did he want to go?

Stars

Jupiter

Mars

Moon

One of Frank Sinatra's signature songs is "Fly Me to the Moon," but its composer had another title in mind for it. Songwriter Bart Howard's original title was "In Other Words." Later, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin "fulfilled" the song's "wish" when he played it during their moon exploration.

The Beach Boys splashed us with "Surfin' ___" in the '60s. Which country did they list?

Hawaii

Oz

USA

Ventura

For a band that named themselves The Beach Boys, only one member actually did some time out with the waves. That's Dennis Wilson, the drummer brother of the group. Unfortunately, he died from drowning in the '80s.

Savage Garden tended us with "Truly ___ Deeply." Which other adverb is there for us to see?

Madly

Deadly

Gently

Softly

Millennials might know a different version of "Truly Madly Deeply"; it's the title of One Direction's 2012 song from their "Take Me Home" album. Gen Xers know Savage Garden's 1997 song with the same title. This Australian duo hit it big in the U.S. with this song.

Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" hit had another use in a different field after its 2008 release. The song's "subtitle" became the campaign tagline for promoting female condom awareness. This 2010 STI prevention campaign started in Chicago.

Prince left his royal legacy with "When ___ Cry." What type of bird flew with this jive?

Blackbirds

Doves

Robins

Eagles

When artists die, their songs live on and even top the charts anew. This happened with Prince's 1984 hit "When Doves Cry" from his famous "Purple Rain" album. When Prince died in 2016, this song got enough airtime that it entered the Billboard Hot 100 again.

The Piano Man claimed that "We Didn't ___ the Fire." What verb concurred?

Flame

Start

Douse

Blow

Fans of Billy Joel know that he was born on May 9, 1949. His big hit "We Didn't Start the Fire" reached number one in 1989. If you'll notice, the historical events narrated in the song cover the years 1949 to 1989 only.

Gotye got us with "Somebody That I ___ to Know." Which state made him feel low?

Regret

Had

Left

Used

It's interesting to note that Universal Music released "Somebody That I Used to Know" in the U.K. and the U.S., and it went on to be a smash in both countries. To complete the universality of this hit, Belgian-Australian Gotye is its singer-songwriter. In addition, New Zealand singer Kimbra also provided vocals for this 2011 hit.

Marvin Gaye warned that "I ___ It Through the Grapevine." Which action left him in a bind?

Saw

Felt

Heard

Tasted

Rolling Stone listed "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" in their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time tally. It's there at number 81. Gen Xers might still associate this with the '80s California Raisins commercial, though.

Barbra asked "___, Can You Hear Me?" To which mentor did she ask this plea?

Mama

Sugar

Honey

Papa

If you want to see a gender-bending Barbra Streisand, search for the musical film "Yentl." It's about a Jewish woman who dressed as a man to study in an all-male theology school. "Papa, Can You Hear Me" is Yentl's signature song here, as sung by Babs.

Jon jived about "Livin' on a ___" in the '80s. What thing supplied his fees?

Lie

Prayer

Dream

Vida Loca

Jon and his Bon Jovi band conquered the '80s with hits like "Livin' on a Prayer." Nowadays, he's merry with his wine line, an endeavor began by his son, Jesse, and Jesse's friend. Hampton Water is their rosé wine's name; it received the 2018 Best Rosé wine honor from Wine Spectator magazine.

"You're So ___" was Carly Simon's accusation. She was accusing someone of which self-absorbed sensation?

Vain

Hard

Soft

Big

Singer-songwriter Carly Simon immortalized her critique of ex-lovers in "You're So Vain." She finally mentioned in 2015 that one of those exes in her 1972 song was Warren Beatty. In a 2017 BBC documentary, she performed a new stanza of the song which she'd omitted from the original version.

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